Rise of the Zygots
by Innana
Summary: Book 2 of Last of the Great American Heroes. Not long after Buck's return to the Searcher, he and Wilma bump into a familiar face. This chance meeting marks the herald of another terrible war
1. Chapter 1

**Rise of the Zygots**

**Chapter 1**

**Old Friends**

It was starting to snow.

Hawk momentarily watched the floating ice crystals that were beginning to fall rapidly from the sky, and then glanced at his companion. "Buck?"

"I was just thinking…"

Hawk waited patiently, anticipating his friend's reaction. The last time they had encountered this particular weather condition, Buck's eyes had glazed over and a wistful expression had appeared on his face. He had remembered an era long gone by in pre-war Chicago, when the first snows of the season heralded the run up to the holiday season. Chicago! The city was now housed under a dome. An artificial environment whose climate was controlled by computers, down to the temperature and every tone and hue of the sunset.

Buck continued, "That it might be an idea to pack up and get out of here before this snow gets any heavier."

Hawk nodded, relieved. "I think perhaps you are right. Those people, I wonder why they stay here when it is so cold."

"Well it's a beautiful place; I guess they just get used to the conditions in order for them to feel free, to be at one with nature. _Just like the Indians out in the Smokies_, he thought to himself.

"I suppose so," Said Hawk, "but my people lived in the mountains so that we were away from the humans – men," he corrected himself, "who persecuted us. These people don't have to, they could live in more comfortable surroundings, if they so desired."

"Speaking of more comfortable surroundings, we should get moving before we end up grounded.

He picked up his com link. "Searcher this is Captain Rogers, the weather is deteriorating down here so crank up the heating cos we're coming in."

"OK we'll see you back at base." Wilma couldn't help feeling a little relieved that Buck and Hawk were on their way back with no major incidents.

Buck had a habit of getting himself into trouble but he had extraordinary survival skills – as did Hawk, who had survived his whole life on his wits. They made a great team, Buck continuing the Searcher's primary mission of trying to find the lost races of Earth whilst Hawk searched for others of his kin. Unlike his ancestors, Hawk no longer had wings and relied on his Bird of Prey, a Hawk like ship that had retractable talons that could puncture the metal skin of enemy vessels. He was similar in appearance to humans – except that where he should have hair, his head was covered in a fine plume of white feathers. He was a striking man, well over six feet tall and clad in figure hugging black leather armor. Black gloves completed the look.

Most of the women they encountered had been as enthralled with Hawk as they were with Buck, but Hawk still in mourning for his lost love Koori who had been tragically killed in a horrible accident when he and Buck first met, had no interest in them.

A few minutes later they arrived in the clearing where they had left the ships – or so they thought. The entire landscape had now been transformed into a white wonderland and all landmarks were now buried under a blanket of snow.

"Er – I think we might be lost," Buck said sheepishly. "Everything looks kind of different from when we arrived."

Hawk grinned and pressed a button on his sleeve. Moments later, Buck heard the sound of an engine and Hawk's Bird of Prey hovered above them. Buck stared open mouthed at his friend.

"A little present from Dr Goodfellow," Hawk beamed triumphantly. "Just in case anyone ever tries to steal her."

Buck patted Hawk on the shoulder. "Impressive! A remote-controlled ship. They ought to fit the starfighters with them!"

Hawk pressed another control and the ship landed softly a few feet away from them. "Come, we should be able to locate your starfighter from the air."

Buck followed his friend to the metal bird. The canopy popped open and Hawk climbed into the pilot's seat. Buck followed him and settled down into the passenger seat.

-o-o-o-o-

"Did you uncover anything of interest?" Wilma sat on the opposite end of the sofa to Buck. Her poise appeared relaxed, but her arms were folded in front of her chest and her knees were pointing away from him. Buck glanced at her, he knew enough about body language to note her defensive posture. She obviously wasn't entirely comfortable with being alone with him just yet.

"Well we had to abandon the mission half way through because of the weather, but we got a few samples. The inhabitants have been there for a while, but pretty similar to most of the others we've encountered so far."

"Well we're about to go deeper into space in the next few days and we'll be entering a part of the galaxy that little is known about. So…" She shrugged. "Who knows what we'll uncover."

He raised his hands and started to count on his fingers. "Well let me see so far there's been the Guardians, the Goral, the Satyr who infected me, a race of people who are all clones of one another oh and let's not forget your number one fan-club; the seven dwarves Snow White!"

She pursed her lips in mock petulance. "Snow White indeed!" She raised her arms and glanced at her hands." Hmm maybe I need to pay a visit to the solarium sometime soon."

"You're fine as you are," he murmured under his breath.

"Sorry, what did you say?

"I said do they that on the Searcher?"

She shook her head and laughed. "No! That's why I'm getting pale!"

-o-o-o-o-

"Well I guess you're not gonna get much opportunity to top up your tan here."

The planet Buck, Wilma had landed on was extremely picturesque, but of moderate temperature. They had landed in a lush green valley filled with ferns. The valley floor was carpeted with soft moss. Water from a mountain stream trickled over rocks. There was a cool breeze that blew wisps of their hair about their face. The nearby forest was alive with the sound of birds and woodland creatures. The air was crisp and fresh. The planet was rich with new varieties of plant life which Dr Goodfellow was anxious to examine so Hawk had already collected a few samples and taken them back to the ship, leaving the other two explorers behind.

Buck picked a handful of moss and deposited it into a jar, then took a cutting from a tree and added it to the samples. Wilma took out a hand-held scanner and waved it around.

"The heat signature is quite high, the oxygen level is breathable, the water seems normal so it could easily sustain human life. There would be plenty for anyone to – eat." She wrinkled her face at the last word. She understood the need for survival on more primitive worlds sometimes necessitated the consumption of animal flesh, but still balked at the idea herself.

They wandered through the valley, picking their way carefully to avoid the spongy ground near the stream until their path led away from the water and deeper into the forest. They chatted pleasantly, collecting samples of the plants and soil as they walked. Buck walked over to a tree and knelt down to dig at the soil at the side of the path. Wilma glanced around and spotted something in the distance. She called to her friend excitedly, pointing to a spot about fifty feet away.

"Look at that."

Buck lifted his head to see what his companion was referring to. It was a mammal, similar to a lemur in appearance, with a prehensile tail and large round eyes. It had auburn fur and had a piece of fruit in its paws that it was nibbling at. It halted when it saw Buck and Wilma and watched them curiously. Its ears were pricked but it did not dart for cover.

Buck glanced at the creature then seemed distracted by something else. Without warning he ran at a startled Wilma and dived to the ground, taking her with him. This sudden movement caused the animal to dash into the undergrowth. The landed in a heap, Wilma underneath Buck, their legs slightly entangled.

"Buck, what…"

Seconds later, a blue bolt of laser fire zapped through the air, followed immediately by another.

Wilma lifted her head. "Someone's firing at us."

"No, I don't think so, I think they are hunters." Buck motioned for her to keep still. He could feel the heat of her body beneath him and tried not to get distracted. Safety was more important. He reached for his pulsar.

Wilma squirmed, trying to reach her laser. She slid her hand down to her hip and came into contact with Buck's thigh. She glanced at him to see if he had noticed but his eye was trained on a spot in the distance. They heard voices from several feet away, getting louder as the hunters moved closer. They recognised one of the voices and exchanged glances.

"Ardala?" Said Buck

"Princess Ardala?" Said Wilma in unison.

They popped their heads up. The Draconian Princess, dressed in a form fitting green cat-suit with a matching cloak edged in gold brocade, was standing a few feet away from them. There was a huge laser weapon in her gloved hands. She was accompanied by three Draconian guards and her body guard, Pantherman. Kane was nowhere to be seen.

"Buck!" She stared at the two Terrans, a look of complete surprise on her face. She glanced at Wilma and frowned. "And Colonel Deering!" She was not happy to notice the close proximity of Buck and Wilma.

Buck grinned and waved a hand. "Your highness." His other hand still held onto Wilma's arm, this did not go unnoticed.

"What's this? Some strange Terran courtship ritual?"

Wilma blushed and pushing Buck away, began to extricate herself from his grasp. "You could have killed us!"

"Well you were the one wandering around my hunting ground Colonel?"

"Your hunting ground? You were going to shoot that little creature, but why? Don't you have enough food on the Draconia."

"We were exploring, taking soil samples that kind of thing." Buck explained to a bemused Ardala. "We are now part of an exploration mission." He holstered his weapon and held his hands aloft. "We come in peace."

"First of all, Colonel Deering I assure you that I had no intention of consuming that thing, however its pelt makes a very good trim for the royal wardrobe."

Wilma grimaced and looked ready to answer but Buck stopped her by placing his hand on her arm. The Draconian peace treaty was tentative, he didn't want to cause an end to it by offending the royal pursuits.

"So you are hunting for pleasure? What happened to Princesses don't fire weapons?"

Ardala batted her long eyelashes at him. "Well I felt quite empowered after we worked together on Pendar, I decided it was time for me to learn to defend myself and besides which I have been quite bored on the Draconia recently. It would have been an excellent shot too, if you hadn't scared the wretched creature away."

Buck raised his eyebrow. ""Well it's good to see you standing on your own two feet Princess."

She looked perplexed. "Why whose feet do you presume I stand on?"

"Just an old expression, means you are more independent."

She laughed, "Yes, exactly. I have learned that unlike my pampered sisters, I am strong and don't need anyone to fire my weapons."

"This is your practice ground? Sorry I didn't realise we were in Draconian territory." Wilma interjected.

Ardala shrugged. "I would say you are the ones far from home Colonel Deering." She smiled then continued, "I know all about your mission - to find the lost races of your planet if I'm correct."

Wilma nodded.

Ardala strode towards Buck, her expression softened. "And so you were on the ground because you thought I was firing at you?"

Buck smirked and glanced at Wilma who rolled her eyes. "Of course your highness, what else would we be doing?"

They were interrupted by a soft rumble coming from the direction of the mountains. The breeze began to blow a little stronger. Ardala removed a strand of hair that had blown about her face.

"It sounds like a storm is coming, may I suggest that we all make haste and retire to our respective vessels." Wilma said.

"I couldn't agree more." She waved her hands and the royal entourage who had been standing patiently, shuffled and began to turn back to the direction they had arrived from.

"Perhaps you would join me Buck on my ship, I'm sure we have lots of things to discuss." She fluttered her eyelashes seductively.

"Well I – er…" He began.

Wilma kept her thoughts to herself. She doubted the Princess would be pleased to hear them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rise of the Zygots**

**Chapter 2**

**Guests**

Buck took Ardala's right hand in his and gazed into her eyes. "You know I would love to Your Highness but I'm afraid I have my orders to return to the Searcher when our mission is complete - and our movements are tracked."

Ardala pouted. "But I was given to believe that this was not a military mission and – that you had not formerly joined the Defence Directorate."

"Strictly speaking, it isn't," Wilma interjected, "but we are manned with military personal and we have a strict timeline to keep to. If you are inquiring as to whether she is armed, then no the ship itself is not, however we do have fighters on-board in case the need arises."

"Along with Earth's two best pilots it would seem. But are you not leaving your home planet wide open to invasion? Not," She hastily added ,"from us, but surely, there were other threats to your security?"

"On the contrary, Your Highness," Buck stated. "The Defense Directorate has promoted some of its top ranking officers and they will take the lead in our absence. Also, we are on loan to the Admiral, should the Earth find itself on a war footing once more, we can be recalled at any time."

"Of course," Ardala smiled. "Well, I have no desire to get wet whilst still fully clothed so until we meet again, Captain Rogers."

Buck raised the Princess's hand up to his lips and kissed it, echoing her sentiment, "Until we meet again. Hasta Manana."

She gazed at him curiously and looked on the verge of replying then thought better of it and turned to walk with her foot soldiers. He watched her swaying hips for a brief moment, enjoying the fact that it was annoying Wilma.

-o-o-o-o-

Several days later, Buck, Wilma and Admiral Asimov stood in their dress uniforms along with Hawk and several senior crew members, at the entrance to the hangar bay.

"I must confess," Whispered the Admiral to Wilma, "that I have never actually met Princess Ardala in person."

"Oh she's charming, "She replied sarcastically, "if you like venomous spiders."

The Admiral smirked, "I'll remember not to get bitten then."

"No offence Sir," She glanced at Buck who was anxiously checking his watch. "She only has eyes for one person on this ship."

Buck's mouth quirked at the comment. Hawk grinned at him.

Minutes later, the royal procession, comprising of Princess Ardala, flanked by the oily Commander Kane entered the chamber. Pantherman followed closely behind, along with several Draconian Guards. They were greeted by the Admiral who bowed respectfully.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness, as Admiral of this ship, I would like to welcome you and your companions to the Searcher."

Ardala held out her hand. She looked as alluring as ever, dressed in a red brocade dress that that was cut on the diagonal from her ankle to rise in an arch at the front up to the top of her toned thighs. The top accentuated her ample cleavage. The trademark stiff collar that extended out beyond her shoulders completed the outfit. Gold-coloured high heeled sandals elevated her height to over 6 foot. She looked both elegant and provocative. "Delighted to make your acquaintance, Admiral."

"No-one would believe them to be the barbarians you described." Whispered Hawk.

"Well appearances can be deceptive." Buck replied.

"And I believe you are already familiar with Captain Rogers and Colonel Deering? "The Admiral said.

"That is correct." Ardala turned her head towards Buck, "Captain Rogers." Her eyes swept over his dress blues. The faintest glimmer of a smile played on her lips. "It is so good of your Admiral to invite us here."

_She invited herself _Wilma mused. She hadn't been too impressed when, a day after returning to the Searcher, the ship had been hailed by Kane who announced that the Princess wished to honor the peace treaty by joining them on board the Searcher, but to refuse would have been to insult the Draconians, so the Admiral had no choice but to agree to the royal visit.

Ardala's eyes drifted to Hawk, "And _**who**_ is this?"

Buck resisted the urge to smirk. "Princess this is Hawk, Hawk, may I introduce you to Princess Ardala."

Ardala held out her hand delicately. Hawk stared at it then glanced at Buck for guidance.

"You have to kiss her hand," His friend whispered.

Hawk, who was not used to being tactile, looked a little embarrassed. Nevertheless he did as instructed. Ardala giggled girlishly. Buck and Wilma exchanged amused glances. Kane frowned.

"Buck, why don't you and your charming friend give me a tour of your ship?" She glanced at Kane.

"Your Highness I'm not sure that's…"

"And I'm sure Colonel Deering and the Admiral won't mind escorting you, Kane. After all you are both Terrans are you not?"

Wilma opened her mouth to protest, but the Admiral quickly intervened. "I'm sure that will be permissible."

Kane traced the contours of Wilma's body with his eyes. "Of course, after you Colonel, Admiral."

Wilma turned away so neither of the two men could see the disgusted look on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rise of the Zygots**

**Chapter 3**

**The Gift**

The door to the laboritory opened and the Admiral entered, closely followed by Wilma and Kane.

"Good afternoon, Dr Goodfellow. May I introduce you to one of our guests? This is Commander Kane from the Draconian envoy. Commander, Dr Goodfellow is one of the Earth's top scientists and his field speciality is biology. We are privileged to have him as the ship's scientist during our mission."

"Welcome, welcome, do come in." The old man cocked his head towards Wilma. "You know I have been studying the plants that you brought back from the green planet Colonel and they are quite fascinating, did you know - "

A metallic voice interrupted. "I'm sure our guests do not want to hear the intricate workings of a mere plant Dr Goodfellow!"

"Oh Kane this is Crighton," the old scientist explained. He is a quite remarkable robot; his posotronic brain is capable of storing and recalling a vast amount of data in a split moment…"

"My brain is far too superior for any human to comprehend." Crighton said haughtily. "Commander Kane? You were a computer engineer from Earth, but I understand that you defected and left to join the Draconians as their commander, even though the two were bitter enemies."

Kane's mustache twitched. "Well I was a lot more than a computer engineer, but you are correct about my leaving to join the Drac - "

"So your very presence on this ship is actually treason!"

"Crighton!"

"Oh the dull politics of humans hold little interest to me Admiral. I just find it difficult to comprehend why anyone would bother to abandon one inferior species for another." He rolled to the other side of the lab.

The Admiral held his hands aloft. "Commander Kane I must _**apologise** _for his outburst."

Wilma's hand went to her forehead in embarrassment "He believes himself far superior to humans, including Dr Goodfellow, who actually built him," she explained.

"Built!" Exclaimed the snooty robot. His thin metal arms rose to bend at the elbow in a gesture of indignation. "Why do you insist on perpetuating this myth Colonel?"

"Good Lord, Dr, could you please ensure the next time this walking lamp post is upgraded that he receives the tact and diplomacy programme. Commander I am very sorry."

Kane chuckled. "I am not offended Admiral, I have heard far worse – most of it from Princess Ardala." If you ever get bored Crighton and feel like changing sides, call me," he said with a smirk.

The humour washed over the robot completely. Crighton elongated his neck by several feet, which left him towering over the humans, adding to his superiority complex. "That, I very much doubt will happen, Commander!"

Admiral Asimov rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and muttered. "Oh good lord!"

-o-o-o-o-

"So that is the officer's quarters?" Ardala, Buck and Hawk had just exited the elevator on B deck. Pantherman padded along a few feet behind. The guards had been given light refreshments in the mess hall.

"Yes Your Highness." Buck replied, as they walked along, hoping she would not request to see the interior of his cabin.

Ardala halted her step and spun round to face her escorts. "Hmm, so you and Wilma reside here in quite close proximity. You must see a lot of each other."

Buck stopped. "Well it would be quite difficult to avoid each other on a ship in the middle of space."

"I suppose so. She appeared to contemplate this for a moment and then turned to Hawk. "And what about you Hawk? You are not formerly an officer so do you have similar living quarters?"

"They are a little further away on D deck. I do not have much in the way of décor. When the hum – men destroyed my village on Throm there was very little left."

"Throm?" I have not heard of this place. I assumed that you were from Tharsk."

"Tharsk?" Hawk's eye's widened.

"Yes, I heard tales of a race of bird-men living there in the caves when I was younger. I think it was one of the worlds my father invaded."

Hawk and Buck exchanged glances. "And are they still living?"

Ardala looked offended. "Do you presume that we killed absolutely everyone we encountered? Not at all, we gave people the opportunity to join the Empire – of course if they refused then that was a different matter. However, I have never heard of any Draconian having a bird-man in service."

Hawk looked thoughtful. "And where is this planet Tharsk?"

"In the Hidden Sector, part of my father's Empire. I'm not totally sure, but I can find out." She smiled seductively. "You are very welcome to come on board the Draconia whilst we check our data banks. Buck shot Hawk a warning look, which Ardala failed to notice.

Hawk became more animated. "Perhaps some of these worlds are home to the lost races of Earth too. Buck and Ardala gazed at him in surprise.

"You know, Hawk could have a point. The Draconians usually travel deeper in space than we do and if your father has conquered two thirds of the known Universe then it is highly he has come into contact with those people we lost contact with."

"But we have retreated from many of those worlds since the treaty."

"So you don't occupy the green planet where we met yesterday?"

She laughed. "Occupy what exactly? A bunch of dumb animals? Whilst they make excellent quarry I fear they would make very poor soldiers or servants.

Buck stayed silent.

She gazed into his eyes, trying to gage his expression. "You think me cruel hunting that animal don't you?"

"Princess, many people hunted in my time, some for food, some just for sport. It was the past time of kings. It is not my place to judge."

"Very diplomatic Captain." She turned away and they continued down the corridor. "Colonel Deering didn't like it did she?"

"I – don't know, she didn't say so, did she?"

"I saw the look of her face Buck." They paused,having reached the end of the corridor. "Do you think I'm cruel?" She said softly. "Is that why you didn't want to be with me."

"Princess, it's not so simple," He began.

They entered a small elevator. A few seconds later, they alighted at the chosen rendezvous point, the Observation deck. Buck was relieved to have the distraction.

The Princess, her two male escorts and the strange hybrid creature; Pantherman, stepped out onto the Observation deck. She admired the view from the panoramic window for a moment, until they were joined by Wilma, the Admiral and Kane a few moments later.

"Kane," Ardala crossed the room to greet her commander. "I want an observation deck."

"Yes Princess," He nodded and smiled, hands clasped behind his back. As soon as her gaze was drawn back to the window he muttered to the Admiral, "Does she think I can build one in space?"

The Admiral, said nothing, but glanced at Wilma with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Wilma sucked in her cheekbones in amusement. After a moment, she moved to stand just behind the Draconian princess. "Did you enjoy your tour your highness?"

The Princess's scarlet painted lips parted as she smiled to reveal pearl-white teeth. "Yes, I did thank you Colonel." She trailed a manicured fore finger through through the air and cast a seductive glance at Buck. "I particularly enjoyed my visit to the officer's living quarters."

"Oh?" Wilma glared at Buck.

Ardala felt triumphant at causing discord between the two officers.

-o-o-o-o-

A short while later the visiting party and senior officials were seated in the suite that had doubled up as a courtroom during Buck's recent trial. Buck, Hawk and Wilma were seated at one side of the long trestle table that had been erected especially for the occasion. The Admiral sat at one end of the table with Ardala and Kane at the other. The rest of the crew and the Draconian guards were seated at other tables. Everyone was served a glass of Vinol and a number of small dishes; the closest thing the Searcher had to appetizers. In the absence of live entertainment, the guests were treated to 20th Century classical music courtesy of Buck's limited collection.

When they had finished eating, Princess Ardala rose from her seat and a hush descended upon the room.

"Admiral Asimov, I thank you for your welcome and your food. We regret that our visit must come to an end, it has been a most interesting day. Once we regarded Terrans such as yourselves as our enemies. I am pleased to say that this is no longer the case and as a token of our growing friendship and understanding between our races, we offer to you a gift. One that I believe will help you in your search to find the lost races of your planet Earth."

Buck glanced at Wilma. He remembered full well, the Draconian 'gift' when he had first awakened after his 500 year nap.

Kane narrowed his eyes in confusion. _What gift?_

"We are aware that whilst your primary mission is to locate the missing races from your planet Earth, this has up to now, yielded little fruit. Therefore it is my belief that the reason you have not yet encountered these people is that they are possibly among the Draconian Empire."

Kane stared at Adarla in disbelief. What was she doing?

Admiral Asimov and Wilma exchanged puzzled glances across the table. The possibility that the missing Earth People had fled to a world that was until recently occupied by the Draconian Empire, had been discussed. That part of the universe remained closed to outside traffic. Buck had likened this to something called the 'Berlin Wall'.

"Your Highness…" Kane began.

She ignored him and continued. "As you know, this part of the universe has for obvious reasons remained accessible only to ourselves; however as a symbol of peace, I am prepared to allow access to you Buck." Her gaze lingered on him for a brief moment. "Hawk and of course Colonel Deering," she added as an afterthought. "We are giving you the coordinates to the stargate that leads to Draconian Space." She paused to allow her words to sink in and smiled regally as her gaze swept the across the table, in anticipation of the reaction.

Kane just stared, open-mouthed. A murmur went through the room for a few minutes then hushed as the Princess resumed her speech.

"You are permitted to make such inquiries as to establish the origins of the people you encounter, however you may not interfere with business of the realm. If this is acceptable to you Admiral then we shall make the arrangements."

Admiral Asimov was lost for words. "I – don't know what to say Your Highness. That would be simply marvelous."

Wilma was not as enthusiastic. "Buck did she say anything to you about this?" She whispered.

Buck scratched his nose, using this guise to whisper behind his hand to Wilma. "We did touch upon the subject earlier."

"I wonder what she's up to."

"She seemed keen to prove that she wasn't the evil tyrant we knew her to be. I don't know. I hate to admit it but maybe on this occasion the leopard has changed its spots."

Wilma raised her eyebrows. "But never forget that it is still a leopard."

Ardala noticed Buck and Wilma chatting but declined to mention it. Instead she beamed a broad smile. "Good then that's settled then. We will be in touch shortly to discuss the finer details. Now if you will excuse us, we must return to the Draconia. Kali tah Draco'th – that is an old saying which means that you are with Draconia."

"So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu," Quipped Buck – that is an old Earth saying which means till we meet again!" The others just stared at him.

-o-o-o-o-

"Can we really trust her Admiral?" Wilma whirled round in her chair on the bridge, a short while after the Draconian envoy had departed.

Her concern was echoed in the Admiral's eyes. Now that he had "time to reflect, his own doubts had started to creep in. "I honestly don't know, but I don't see how we can refuse without offending them."

Buck was leaning casually against the guard rail. "Did you see Kane's reaction? He is either a really good actor all of a sudden or he didn't have a clue she was going to spring that one."

"What about her decision to have you and Hawk escort her around the ship whilst landing me with Kane?"

"Well if you remember, when we bumped into her on the green planet, Kane wasn't with her then either, I think it's possible that she is just fed up of him and avoiding him wherever possible."

"That's very magnanimous of you Buck, considering your past history with her."

"I know Wilma but I have to hope there really is good in her somewhere. I think sometimes she was so desperate to please her father that she would do anything he asked without questioning her motives. I really think she's grown up and learned to think for herself. I also think her meeting with the war witch Zarina put her in her place a little."

"Well let's hope you're right," She sighed. "Because if you're not and we are in the middle of Draconian territory without a squadron…"

-o-o-o-o-

"Buck, why are you so willing to stand up for Ardala all of a sudden?" Wilma was alone with Buck in his cabin several hours later. Her eyes blazed. "Or did you get a little close to her when she visited your quarters this afternoon."

"Don't be ridiculous Wilma! His nostrils flared. "What are you implying? That me and Ardala snuck off and had us a good time whilst you were showing Kane round the science lab? We didn't actually visit my quarters – besides which Hawk was with us the whole time!"

She turned her head sharply to look at him, then wandered over to the window. She went silent and it was several moments before she spoke again, her voice softer. "You've just always been so suspicious of her motives before now, so what's changed?"

He chewed his lip whilst he mulled her words over then Hhs eyes widened in sudden remembrance. "Actually I think it was Hawk who may have given her the idea!"

"So when we are all prisoners of the Draconian Empire, trapped on god knows where, we have Hawk to thank," she sighed.

"It won't come to that and even if it does, we've outwitted the Draconians before several times," He reminded her."

"What makes me suspicious – is that she invited me!"

"I kind of liked that part."

She glared at him for a moment, then looked away deep in thought. "Hmm!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Rise of the Zygots**

**Chapter 4**

**Secrets**

Inside Draconian occupied space, there was a dazzling flash as the secret stargate opened to allow entry to two small space craft. The first was a starfighter piloted by Buck, close on his tail was Hawk in the sleek Bird of Prey. They punched in the coordinates to their intended destination: Denar, the closest inhabitable planet.

Once they reached Denar's atmosphere. Buck pushed the throttle and his small craft descended, followed by Hawk's. The landscape they skimmed over was brown, arid and quite unremarkable, but the scenery gradually began to transform as the vegetation became more dense.

The landing bay was almost deserted except for two men clad in bronze uniforms that Buck recognised as Draconian guards. The guards situated at the perimeter fence remained passive but their eyes followed Buck and Hawk as they clambered from their ships and began to make their way to the gate.

"Halt!"

Buck held out his hands to show he was not holding a weapon. "My name is Captain Buck Rogers, this is Hawk. We are here on royal invitation by Princess Ardala."

The guard who had spoken whispered something to the other and his companion grunted. The first man nodded turned back to Buck and demanded, "Identification!"

Buck held out his and Hawk's ID cards for inspection.

The Draconian guard, a huge swarthy man with a mustache took it from him, peered at it and handed it back to him. "Wait over there."

"Not quite the friendliest welcome," Buck mumbled.

"Perhaps the Princess is coming down to meet us in person," Hawk quipped.

This remark resulted in a glower from the huge guard.

Buck waved both hands."OK, we're going."

They walked in silence over to the gates. Within minutes they heard the sound of an engine as a copper coloured open-top hover vehicle bearing the Draconian insignia rolled up to the entrance.

"Captain Rogers and Hawk I presume?"

They looked up and were surprised to see a woman manning the heavy transporter. She was tall, stocky and had dark shoulder length hair; almond shaped hazel eyes. She was dressed in a burnt orange tunic with matching leggings. "I am to escort you into the main part of the city."

Buck leaned in towards Hawk. "Kind of overdressed for a Draconian woman," he whispered.

The gate opened and they boarded via a ramp that had descended and sat down opposite each other. The land car quickly accelerated and soon they were speeding through the countryside. The wind whipped their hair, or feathers in Hawk's case. The watched trees and bushes appear on the horizon, pass them and then disapear in the distance.

"So what's your name?" Buck asked, raising his voice so that it could be heard above the rushing wind.

"Atira," she answered curtly.

"Nice transporter."

"It belongs to the Realm; we will be arriving at our destination soon."

All the time, Atira kept her gaze straight ahead. Buck took the hint that she didn't want to chat. He turned to Hawk with a raised brow, with a mock hurt expression. His friend resisted the urge to smirk.

After about ten minutes had passed, they drove over a wooden bridge that was spanning a wide river. On the other side of the river was a collection of grey stone buildings and behind this; a large fort. They pulled up in front of a huge stone wall. Two Draconian guards stood guarding the archway that marked the entrance. There was a collection of strange hieroglyphics etched into the stonework over the arch.

"We have arrived at our destination", Atira announced in a monotone voice and the transporter came to an abrupt halt.

Buck started to wonder if she was a Zygot – one of Kane's androids that he had encountered on-board the Draconia a year ago.

"Thank you for being such a charming tour guide," he quipped. For the first time since they set off, the woman turned to look at her passengers. She frowned, puzzled but said nothing.

The burly guards glared at Buck and Hawk as the explorers approached the city entrance.

"We are here by invitation – "

"I know who you are Terran."

"Oh then I won't have to bother introducing myself then, if you will just let us through my good man."

The largest guard folded his arms across his chest and said gruffly, "Just because the Princess wishes it, doesn't mean we have to like you!" He did, however, step out of the way as the door slid slowly open to allow entry to the two visitors.

Buck turned to Hawk with a raised brow. "I think she's took us to the Cantina on Star Wars by mistake."

He turned back to the guards with a smirk. "Tell Jabba I'll have his money when I've rescued the Princess – another princess," he quickly added.

Hawk turned his head in Buck's direction. "Who's Jabba?"

"I'll tell you later," Buck whispered.

The guards stared at each other perplexed, then shrugged their shoulders and muttered, "Terrans!"

They walked through the gate and stepped into a large, busy courtyard paved with a cobbled stone floor. It reminded Buck of a medieval castle. Draconian guards mingled with ordinary civilians.

The two explorers wondered around for a while. No-one took much notice of them as the street was so busy. Buck found this a little surprising, given that the spaceport had been so empty. He wondered just how much freedom the people actually had and whether they were allowed to leave the city.

They wondered further into the courtyard. Instead of a central market such as they had seen on Atraxia, there were a number of stores placed around the perimeter. They heard cheers coming from the centre of the square and noticing the large crowd of people assembled there, wandered over to investigate. They jostled their way to the front where there appeared to be some kind of play in progress. Two men and a woman in brightly coloured costumes were acting out a mock battle scene. One of the men pretended to stab the other one who started pulling out red scarves from under his whilst howling, 'Oh he has got me, I am done for!" I

It was obvious the scarves were a representation of blood. There was a rapturous applause as the 'victor' clasped the woman to him and cried, "He is dead!"

At that point, the 'dead' man stood up and ejected a few more blood scarves from his person. The other man 'stabbed' him again and crowd roared with laughter as the victim fell down in one exaggerated movement shook his legs in the air and then lay still.

Everyone apploaded as the actors took a bow. They watched for a few moments then Buck tapped a man standing next to him on the shoulder and said, "Is this a depiction of a historic battle?"

The man gave him a puzzled look and said, "Don't you recognise it?" Then he took a closer look at Buck's clothing and his eyes widened. "You are not from here?"

"No," Buck whispered, "We are from Earth. We are explorers, here to speak to your people. "

"How did you get past the guards?"

"Oh we were invited – by Princess Ardala."

The man let out a low whistle. "Invited? Then you must consider yourselves honored." He paused and then explained that the play was about a tyrant who terrorized the people and taxed all their land. He remained undefeated for ages. The other man was the champion who finally defeated him."

"Ah I see!"Buck rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well thank you for explaining."

Hawk remained stoic.

"If you wish to speak to people, I suggest you try up there." The man pointed to the upper courtyard and then turned his back on them.

Buck and Hawk climbed the stone staircase. As they approached the landing, they glanced around and from their elevated position had a much clearer view of the courtyard below. Now they could see clearly that at the end of the square was a short passageway that led to a cobbled street – presumably the living quarters. A sudden burst of laughter caught their attention. It only took a couple of seconds for them to realise it was coming from a building on the right hand side of the upper courtyard. They headed in the direction the noise was coming from, which turned out to be a tavern. They peered into the window and saw groups of men sitting at trestle tables drinking from bronze coloured goblets.

Buck chuckled and turned to his friend. "Well it seems like every place we visit these days has a watering hole. If we want to speak to the locals, this looks like as good a place as any to start!"

Hawk, having enjoyed the ale served to them on their recent visit to Atraxia, nodded in agreement and they went inside.

-o-o-o-o-

The following morning, Hawk woke up to discover he was propped up against a wall. His head throbbed and he felt nauseous. The room was spinning at an alarming rate. "Buck!" He cried anguished. "Wake up I think someone has poisoned us."

A few feet away, a hand appeared beneath a crumpled tan jacket and yanked it away. Buck struggled to a sitting position and ran his hand through his hair. "What? Why how do you feel?"

"Like someone is trying to remove my brain through my eyes and I feel quite nauseous."

To Hawk's surprise his friend chuckled. "No Hawk, you haven't been poisoned. What you are experiencing was known back in my day as a hangover. You don't get that from the synthetic stuff they serve on the searcher. That Denarian firewater is pretty strong stuff."

Hawk frowned and grimaced at the pain that shot through his temple. "What is a hangover?"

"It's what happens when you engage the locals in a drinking competition Hawk only they are used to their liquor – you aren't!"

Hawk narrowed his eyes. "I do not remember this."

"I bet you don't. You were drunk as a skunk."

"I didn't wish to offend them by refusing."

"On the contrary I think you kept everyone entertained with your stories and your singing."

"I was singing?" Hawk exclaimed. His eyes widened.

"Yep, though it was a foreign language so I've no idea what it was but everyone seemed to like it before they passed out." Buck reached for his backpack and took out a flask of water and an analgesic. He handed them both to his friend. "Take this then we better head back before Wilma mounts a full scale invasion and starts the Draconian War part II."

"It was an old song from my childhood, passed down for many generations." Hawk began then he stared at Buck. "Why is it that you do not feel as sick as I do?"

"Cos I didn't drink that much. That stuff tasted like rocket fuel. One of us has to pilot the ship this morning."

As they about to exit the city wall, one of the guards pointed at Hawk and laughed. "Your friend doesn't look very good."

Buck shrugged. "Well at least we boosted the local economy."

He stared at them for a moment. They were not the same guards that were stationed there on their arrival but there was something familiar about them. His brows furrowed as he searched his memory then did a double take as he realised where he knew them from. They had been in the tavern with the men the day before, but now in full Draconian uniform, their faces half hidden by the heavy helmets, they were barely recognizable.

His surprise was evident as one of the guards – a tubby man with fiery red hair and a beard gave a deep throaty chuckle. "Well I guess from the look on your face you weren't quite expecting to see us here."

Buck's mouth gaped open. "You could say that! Your colleagues we met yesterday weren't quite so friendly."

The man shrugged. "As I said last night, the empire is divided in their opinion about the peace treaty. Some welcome the peace, others do not. We chose to join the empire after invasion and in return, our families were taken care of."

"So you're not from Draconia?"

The red haired man grinned t him, "Listen closely my friend, I will tell you a secret…"

-o-o-o-o-

The Searcher hung suspended in space just outside the stargate. Only small craft such as Buck's and Hawks had been allowed inside the Hidden Zone, much to Wilma's displeasure. She wondered exactly what the Draconians had to hide. The fact that there was no radio contact through the stargate made her uneasy but the two explorers were on a strict time limit and if they did not return within twenty four hours, she was to follow with a squadron. She checked the time; they were due back any minute. Half an hour lapsed and there was still no sign of her colleagues. She glanced up, anxiously as Admiral Asimov entered the bridge.

"Is there any word from Captain Rogers and Hawk yet?"

"No sir," said Wilma and Devlin in unison.

"Sir, I request permission to go through the stargate –"

"Denied Colonel. We should wait a little while longer. Any hasty decision on our part could spark off a diplomatic incident."

She lowered her gaze and sighed, disappointed. "Yes Admiral."

Seeing her worried face, he softened. "Look, if we don't hear anything more within the next hour then you have my permission to go after them, until then we must sit tight. Are you able to reach the Draconians on this side of the Stargate?"

"I've sent out the request but , so far there has been no response from them which is making me a little worried that this is a ploy to capture Buck and Hawk."

"Well the Draconians could be beyond the stargate themselves."

They were interrupted by a voice over the tannoy. "Searcher this is Captain Rogers."

Wilma glanced at the Admiral and with a sigh of relief, snatched up the intercom. "Buck! We were starting to get worried, you're late back."

"Yes I know Wilma; we had an um slight delay in departure as Hawk wasn't feeling too good."

"Hawk? Is he OK? What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing that a few hours' sleep and plenty of water won't fix. I'll explain when we get back. Rogers out."

A short while later, Buck and Hawk had joined Wilma in the Admiral's office. "How are you feeling now Hawk?"

The tall bird-man looked embarrassed. "I am much recovered Admiral; your medical technician administered an excellent remedy. I had underestimated the potency of the Denarian liquor, it was very sweet."

"Admiral, it was my idea to go into the bar, I thought it would be the best way to speak to the locals. I take full responsibility, "Buck quickly cut in.

Wilma rolled her eyes and exchanged glances with the Admiral who just looked bemused.

"But what," he said, "about the inhabitants? Did you manage to speak to them, presuming of course that they were still capable?"

"Yes Buck, did you actually find out anything from the locals or did you just spend the whole time getting drunk?" Wilma asked.

He adopted a mock expression of indignation. "I wasn't drunk. I don't think Hawk had that many, he's just not used to it. We thought the bar would be a good place to get talking to people, a little more relaxed. The city square was too busy; everyone seemed in a hurry down there."

"Actually yes, we found out some really interesting facts from the two of the guards earlier today." Hawk added.

"I thought you said they were hostile towards you," she replied.

"Well the first lot were but the ones on the way out were quite friendly. It seems that ranks are pretty divided about the treaty. I think some of them were on a bit of a power trip. Still," he smiled. "At least we have Ardala and Kane on side."

"Did you have any contact from them whilst you were in the Hidden Zone? I'm pretty sure they must be there because I hailed Kane earlier and there was no reply."

Buck glanced at her. "Don't tell me – you thought we'd been kidnapped by the Draconians."

"You were late coming back what were we supposed to think?"

"Well it was a pretty tight schedule we were on."

"I know Buck," replied the Admiral, but that was just the initial run. The next time we can be more realistic, especially given the time it takes to go through the stargate."

Anyway," Buck said, "it turns out that Draco is actually something like Draco the fifth. There is no actual place called Draconia, they are a hybrid race made up from all the places they've conquered over the years. The original Draco was an alien who took human women in his court so that's why even they are an alien race; they look as human – at least in appearance, to you and me. Present company, excepted." He nodded towards Hawk.

"But that doesn't help our mission – "Wilma began.

"Actually, that's where you're wrong Wilma. It seems that around a hundred years ago, there was a sudden population explosion in the Draconian Empire, which OK, we know how fond Draco is of er...spawning baby Dracs but it would also fit in with the time of the mass exodus from Earth."

The Admiral stared at him in astonishment. "So are you suggesting that the majority of Draconians are originally from Earth?"

"Well it's only a theory, we have no evidence and most of them have been so brainwashed they don't know where they came from!"

-o-o-o-o-

Buck whistled as he sauntered towards the doorway that would take him to the launch bay. Twiki ambled along at his side.

"Bidi bidi, doesn't Hawk want you to meet his own kind?"

He cocked his head to answer his small companion. "Well he just knows how mistrusting he was of humans in the beginning so he thought it was better for him to go on his own. We are going to rendezvous in a couple of days."

"Buck, wait!"

He glanced over his shoulder and then turned when he saw Wilma rushing down the corridor towards them. She was wearing a flight suit and carrying a backpack. Her auburn hair was swept back into a French pleat.

"Bidi bidi bidi, have you forgotten something Buck?"

He glanced at the straps of his rucksack and appeared to rack his brain. "Nope, don't think so." He grinned at Wilma. "Maybe she wants to give me a goodbye kiss Twiki."

She laughed loudly. "In your dreams perhaps, Buck."

"Bidi bidi bidi, "That'll be some dream." Twiki warbled.

"As a matter of fact Captain Rogers," She closed the gap between them and leaned into towards him till their faces were inches apart and gazed up at him. "It would be highly inappropriate and totally unnecessary as I'm going with you."

"Bid bidi, so you did forget something – Wilma he he!"


End file.
